Thunderbirds RFC officially became double champions after adding the National 7s title to the league title they won in May.
The Thunderbirds won the National 7s Series title by being the most consistent side on the circuit, ending every stop with a podium finish.
On the other hand, Thunderbirds’ closest competitors, the Nile Rapids, eventually finished 9 points behind the ladies in blue, despite both teams completing the 7s season with 3 circuit wins each. The ladies from Jinja were undone by being inconsistent, winning the first 2 Stops, then finishing 6th at the Kyadondo 7s that the Thunderbirds won.
The defining moment for the Thunderbirds came at the Kyabazinga 7s when they reached the final while the Rapids were eliminated by the Walukuba Titans in the semifinal. Furthermore, the Rapids fell further when they lost to the Avengers in the bronze medal match, while the Thunderbirds went on to lift the coveted trophy inspired by the iconic Jinja bridge.
With a 7-point cushion at the top, all the Thunderbirds had to do was reach the semifinal of the Coronation 7s regardless of how the Rapids performed. In the Pool phase, the Thunderbirds defeated the Black Pearls and She Wolves to book a ticket to the semifinal, but they still had one more game.
The last Pool A action between the Thunderbirds and Nile Rapids was a foreshadowing of how the Coronation 7s would pan out as the two teams played out a tightly contested 05-05 draw.
After dispatching the Titans in the semifinal, the stage was set for a mouthwatering final at Muteesa II Stadium, Wankulukuku. Jemima Namukose opened the scoring late in the first half of the final, but Grace Nabaggala levelled the scores soon after the resumption of the second half.
The Rapids then regained the lead through the brilliance of Shaine Josephine Babirye, but the relentlessness of Proscovia Mukyala paid off with a try after the Rapids conceded one too many penalties, leading to a Namukose yellow card.
In sudden death, the Thunderbirds did most of the probing but were not able to execute. On the other hand, the Rapids were not able to use the little possession they won back, often kicking the ball away into the half of the Thunderbirds.
Off the bench came Fatuma Kirabo for the Rapids and she had an immediate impact. From deep in the Rapids’ half, Kirabo ran from the try line, but Sandra Lona Amoli stopped her in her tracks as soon as she had entered the Thunderbirds’ 5-metre zone to make a try-saving tackle.
The Coronations 7s were finally decided on a coin toss, with the Thunderbirds coming out on top.
With the National 7s already in the bag, the Thunderbirds had more reason to celebrate as they are now the league winners as well